For Your Sake
by DarkHonour
Summary: One-shot. A long time since the events of fate/stay night, Shirou/Archer has been doing his duty as a servant most unexpected and unrelated. Rin X Archer/Shirou X Sakura
1. For Your Sake

A/N: Just yesterday, I came across a doujinshi manga containing Archer and chibi Sakura/Rin. Thinking a little, I thought I'd just write a special fanfic inspired by this.

Pairings: Rin X Archer/Shirou; Sakura X Archer/Shirou

Disclaimer: The characters of fate/stay night belong to TYPE-MOON and Kinoko Nasu.

* * *

For Your Sake  
_by DarkHonour_

A man lied on the wooden floor, basked in the moonlight illuminating from a gap in the roof made up of wooden planks.

He was probably not a man.

Rather he was a magical entity.

The moonlight shone on his navy blue eyes, showing his white hair as well.

As he raised his arm to look at a penchant, his eyes became glassy. The ruby light of the penchant shown in the moonlight.

Archer recalled how he came to be a servant again.

He had now been a servant for a rather long time.

It was the same moonlit night that he was summoned again. As Archer emerged from the summoning circle, his eyes opened to look at the master who was summoning him.

Not that it was just anyone, but it was extremely rare for him to have another chance at being a servant.

Before his eyes, he heard a coughing sound before a huge glut of blood spilled on the floor from the person's mouth. His eyes turned to look at this person, probably his master who summoned him.

'Are you my-' Archer was about to questioned his master with his trademark enquiry when he saw the face being illuminated by the moon.

'Yes,' the voice of the master came, as she got herself up uneasily. She looked at him, wiping off the blood off her mouth quickly. 'I summoned you.'

'Rin,' he maintained his cold stance. She looked at him with an equally stoic look, before suddenly falling on him. 'Why did you summon me?'

He caught her with his arms.

'I know it's you,' she held up a ruby penchant. 'Archer, take this.'

'Your condition is getting weak,' he advised her. 'Approve if you wish for me to use the healing magic.'

'It's too late,' she answered him. She coughed up another glut of blood, spilling onto Archer's arm. 'That bastard cast a degenerating curse.'

His eyes turned from the cold glare to a little lukewarm. It was time to be serious. Rin's partner, the magus who had framed him and had him executed, had finally done the move.

'If you die now,' he cradled her small body up. 'The contract will be broken.'

'There's nothing to worry about that,' she retorted, breathing a little heavier. 'Take care of Sakura and my child for me.'

'It's irresponsible for a master to die and leave her servant behind.'

'I'm sorry,' she gazed into his eyes. She raised a palm to touch his warm face. His facial expression was completely unmoved. 'I didn't tell you one thing.'

_You were the only one I cared about specially, Shirou._

She did not make any sound but he could read the movement of her lips. Her body fell limp, with her face staring into blankness. With one hand, Archer raised it over her face, covering her eyelids shut.

As someone who had already endured so much during his human life, Archer was someone who could not cry easily. But this time, two drops of tears fell onto Rin's face.

He looked back at the dead magus.

It was a beautiful moonlit sky, with the messenger of death having just passed by.

'Understood, master,' he smirked, putting down her small body to rest on the cold hard ground. The command seals on her left hand vanished in a moment.

Archer reopened his eyes, his gaze affixed on the ruby penchant. That little ornament reminded him of his purpose as a servant. Deciding to rest, the red-clad servant kept away the penchant in his side pocket inside.

He closed his eyes, begging for that powerful eventful memory to go away.

As with the death of one, he began to be reminded of someone else.

At the pier of Fuyuki City, a lighthouse was the most prominent object, steering ships away from the dangers ahead. Archer was steering a wheelchair.

And on the wheelchair was a purple-headed woman. With a jovial look on her face, it was impossible to tell that her days were numbered.

'Shirou,' she commanded Archer by his former name. 'You can stop here.'

'Understood, Sakura.'

The late Rin had devised a plan for her command position to go to her sister, Sakura. Archer would have definitely taken care of her especially since she was his long close friend during the time he was alive.

'The sky is beautiful,' she commented on the setting sun.

'It is,' he answered.

'Soon I won't be able to see this scenery.'

'...'

Archer clenched his fists. Even as a servant, he couldn't prevent his former master's death. And now this person he had always known since he was a teen had a degeneration disease too. The majority of the Tohsaka magic lied with her dead sister.

It seems that she was getting pessimistic as the day passed by. That was despite the fake smile she wore on her face.

'Could you carry me?'

Archer nodded, moving in front to her before pulling her onto his back. She gestured him to walk towards the end of the pier.

'You don't have to be so formal,' Sakura made a note to him.

'...'

'I can understand how you feel,' she wrapped her hands tigher around his neck. 'After going through so much torment and pain.'

'I nearly broke down when you died,' Sakura continued, making a slight laugh. 'But out of the blue, you came back as a servant.'

'It was Rin's will.'

'The wind is beautiful,' she commented. 'Just like the wind, I'll be free.'

'You should rest, Sakura,' Archer advised her.

'Un,' she replied, resting her head on his shoulders.

Archer took a deep breath, the feeling of being Shirou Emiya flowing back into him.

'Too bad for me,' he swallowed. 'I'll have to look at this scenery for eternity.'

He had responded with his ultimate hatred for being a counter guardian. The world had set a cruel fate on him yet bound him eternally to it.

'If Sakura can-'

The two hands clasped in front of Archer's chest gave way. A cold wind blew from behind, with an imaginary sakura petal blowing away into the horizon.

'-flow with the wind,' he softly muttered. 'That'll be good.'

He could feel Sakura's limp body resting on his back. She was now gone. The other half of the Tohsaka sisters was now gone.

He closed his eyes for a moment, cursing the world for bestowing on them such a cruel fate. With no fault of their own, their lives were just taken in a flash.

'It's a beautiful sight, Sakura,' he answered her as a single, almost invisible drop of tear fell from his face like a sparkling diamond dust.

Archer reopened his eyes. For one of the rare nights, he was able to sleep. The emotional stresses on him must have sapped his mana energy, causing him to feel tired. The morning sun had come in. It was almost time to get up.

***

Two girls slept soundly in their bed. They were in deep sleep, having a shared dream.

In their dream, they were in a house. It was a Japanese house, with one central table in the middle. There was a large number of people, unrecognisable to them, gathered around.

They were making merry and happily talking together. There was only one person who stood out, that of an orange-haired boy among the group of girls. Their eyes looked at the boy who had an expression of true happiness.

It appeared as if he was happy because the people around were happy. And there were two girls sitting the closest to him.

These two girls resembled them.

A loud knock on the wooden door brought them back from dreamland. A second knock guaranteed their awakening.

'I'm coming in,' they heard the familiar voice of a man.

He opened the door.

'Both of you girls,' he looked at them with a smiling face. 'It's morning so wake up.'

Archer looked at the two teens who had just been roused from their slumber. It had been a little less than two decades since those incidents happened.

And the two girls were his responsibility as a servant. On their arms were each halves of the command mantra of the master. Somehow, the title of a master was split between the two girls.

'Ehh?!' Both of them exclaimed at once.

Through their vision, the smile on Archer's face had a very nostalgic feel. There was something about his expression familiar. As they tried to picture it, they could imagine the smile made by the boy in the dream, comparing it to their servant's face.

It was a little identical.

'Mm?' Archer was a little surprised at their expression. 'What's wrong?'

As both girls looked at his smile, they were feeling a certain stirring in their chests. Rather than being joyful, they felt a little pain upon seeing his expression.

The white-haired servant was a little confused.

There was a long silence from their time of waking up to breakfast. Both girls were dressed in their usual attire.

Archer continued to observe the strange behaviour of Rie and Minato.

'What's wrong with the both of you?'

He could see that they were looking at him and not touching the breakfast he had made for them.

'Are you eating?'

Both them continued to stare at him. He was beginning to get an inkling that they were angry at him for something he didn't know yet.

'Never mind then,' he folded his arms, closing his eyes. 'I don't know what you two are angry about.'

He displayed a frown on his visage.

'You should be grateful for the food given to you,' he commented on them not eating anything. The atmosphere was a little strained now.

Both girls hung their head low.

'But it's a pity,' he continued. 'I can't change my masters' opinion or influence it.'

'Erm...about us...' Rie suddenly spoke out against Archer's somewhat sarcastic opinions. 'Have you come to dislike us?'

Archer opened one eye, looking at them. The social ice was finally broken.

'Mm?' He was rather surprised by Rie's words. 'So you've finally decided to talk.'

Archer thought for a moment.

'If it's my clever and trustworthy masters,' he gave a smirk. 'How about this? Shall I look at the both of you more?'

His smirk changed into a small smile.

Minato took up her cutlery and began eating. Soon after, Rie began to follow suit too. Both of them were embarassed from Archer's clever use of words. The servant, however, continued to smile at them.

As innocent and pure as ever, Archer thought to himself. He would try his best to prevent the two daughters of two important people to him from ever falling into the evil spiral of magic.

Just like his father had mentioned, sorcery was an evil thing if it fell into the wrong hands.

It was in the afternoon that Archer completed the cleaning of the house. Not that it was something he did out of duty as a servant, but it was his inherent obsession with home hygiene.

The two girls were about to back from school.

He looked back at the rooms he had cleaned. They were sparkling, just like a detergent commerical. Archer looked at his own masterpiece.

He had wished there was a cleaning competition or sort.

'Hmph,' he talked to himself. 'It's scary to look at my own skill at this...'

'Archer! Archer!' He turned behind to look in the direction of both girls.

'Something's wrong?'

'There's a visitor here!' Minato answered him.

'Didn't I say before not to let strangers in-' His eyes looked at the visitor who was now standing in the doorway. The light outside was covering the person in shadow. But Archer could tell who that person was.

'Shirou-kun?'

'Ayako-san?' He muttered, recognising the voice of the former archery dojo captain.

The lady stepped in, still wearing as plain as ever. She was dressed in a simple dress. At least, her dress sense had improved a little, Archer thought.

But he couldn't let her know he was no longer human.

'You've got the wrong person,' he turned his back to her, responding to her in a cold manner.

'I don't think so,' she answered back. As far as Archer could remember, after the craziness of the 5th Holy Grail War, her family moved to Tokyo. Over there, he had heard stories of her being one of the top in the national archery championship. 'You may have changed your attitude, but the evidence is just straight there.'

Realisation came to the white-haired man. He had cleaned the entire room sparkling clean. He was also dressed in a cleaning outfit too. Ayako had once came to his house when he was alive and commented on how rare it was for a boy to clean his home.

'Shirou Emiya is dead,' he looked at her. He averted his gaze, choosing to concentrate on a random spot in the room. 'What you just saw is just a shell.'

His sharp eyes looked at one side of the room. Rie and Minato were observing their conversation. As soon as his piercing eyes met theirs, they quickly hid, running to their room.

'I should have recommended you to the archery club in Tokyo,' she looked down. 'I've heard from those two girls that your alias is-'

'Archer,' he chose to complete her sentence. 'Do you have any business here anymore, Mitsuzuri-san?'

'I'm married now actually,' she gave a swift reply. 'You can address me as Okuda-san.'

'I see,' he responded with yet the same cold hard expression. 'Nice meeting you then, Okuda-san.'

'Wait, Shirou-kun,' she paused for a moment. 'I've heard of the incidents here.'

He turned back to look at Ayako.

'I haven't been back to Fuyuki City for a long time,' she replied with guilt in her tone. 'Could you bring me there?'

***

Archer didn't expect himself to bring Ayako to the Fuyuki City cemetery. Over there contained the many resting places of those who departed, especially those who were involved in the previous Holy Grail War.

He stopped in his tracks. Before him was a tombstone which wrote the words 'Tohsaka' on it.

'This is Sakura.'

She nodded, putting her hands together in a clap. Ayako closed her eyes to make a prayer.

'Life is short, Shirou-kun,' she reopened her eyes.

'I have no comment about that.'

'There is one thing I know,' she turned to look at her former school junior.

'...'

'No matter how old and how big you look now,' she gazed into his eyes. 'You'll always be that junior boy I always known from school.'

Archer walked along the pavement back to the house. Ayako had bade him farewell at the train station as she needed to take a long train ride to the nearest Shinkansen station for her journey back to Tokyo.

Rie and Minato had leaked out information to a stranger on how their servant was good in archery. And that was how Ayako came to the house. Nobody else was supposed to know this information. It was his duty as a servant to keep his true identity.

He stepped back into the house, seeing both girls on the couch.

'Archer...' Rie called out to him.

Archer looked at them with the same calmness in his visage.

Minato took out a lunch box. He had not seen that box anywhere. She must have made it herself.

'I made these myself,' she opened the box, revealing various shapes of cookies within. 'Do you want some?'

'Afternoon tea time in this room,' he responded slowly. 'Is just right for both of you.'

Minato and Rie looked at him.

'I will accept it.'

'Are you happy?'

The sudden doubt emerged from Rie.

'About what?'

'That doesn't matter then,' the twin-ponytailed girl answered him. 'I'll go get the cups~!'

Not realising still that Archer had waxed the floor, she ran across the slippery texture of it.

'Wait Rie!' He shouted her to stop.

With one instant, one of Rie's foot gave way, as she tumbled onto the floor.

She rubbed her knee which now had a sore patch.

'That hurts,' she cursed. 'Archer, why are you even waxing the floor?'

He didn't respond to her. Instead, he quickly looked at her injuries.

'Are you hurt?'

'Archer is too perfect in doing his job...' Minato interjected in between.

'Never mind about the tea,' he reverted to his cold look.

It was night soon. There was a sudden unstable silence in the house.

'What a day.'

The servant broke the silence.

'What's exactly wrong today?' He demanded.

Both of them remained silent, seated on the couch.

'In the morning you were angry,' he related the events of the day. 'In the afternoon you were talking strange things.'

He turned one look at them before turning back.

'Do you girls have split personalities?'

There was a few minutes of stillness within.

'...because,' Rie started. Archer looked at her.

'If we're not Archer's favourites,' she shrieked out, blushing away.

Archer was a little surprised by her comment.

'I can't take it like this!'

In a heat of moment, she got up from the couch and ran off.

'Hey!' He got up to stop her but she was gone.

'Nee-san!' Minato got up as well.

'It's the dream,' she explained to the servant.

'The dream?'

'A dream...' she paused for a few seconds. 'We saw a dream.'

'There was this boy in it who looked almost or identical to Archer.'

'He was surrounded with many smiles,' she continued. 'And he seemed very happy.'

Minato now looked at her servant with her purple eyes.

'That was the dream.'

Archer looked surprised. Had his masters' powers finally matured? After all, there was a mental link between the master and servant. The master, especially, could dream of the memories of the servant.

It was a strange phenomenon but he knew it was normal. In fact, he was a master before and he had dreamt of the servant's memories too.

Back to the current reality, both of them had seen his memories in their dreams.

Archer knew deep down that he was still clinging on to his past.

The dream that those girls saw was perhaps his memories when he was alive.

No, it was definite, as he thought.

It was a place where many smiles were gathered. And where a single boy had unexpectedly gathered them in his home.

Archer knew the reason why they had seen it.

Those irreplaceable memories of those days consisted the most precious people to him.

'And that,' Minato concluded. 'Was all of what we saw.'

A sudden large palm landed on her head.

'Archer?'

She looked up to see Archer's smile. There was a lot of warmth from this smile of his.

'Shall we go and meet Rie?'

They had to clear up the misunderstanding.

***

Rie sat on her bed, hugging her pillow. She had done the most embarassing thing shouting at her servant.

Introspectively, she had always wanted to question about Archer's past. He sometimes acted cold and aloof, preventing her from doing so.

It had also seemed that he even changed his name. The woman she met in school by chance, going by the name of Mrs Okuda, told her his name was Shirou Emiya.

It was a nice name. Why did he want to change it? She pondered over it.

A double knock came onto the door from outside.

'Rie, we're coming in.'

The door swung open.

'Nee-san!' Minato ran over to her adopted sister.

Rie turned the other way round.

'Don't see me like this,' she warned them. 'I'm looking really bad now.'

'I took that dream I saw seriously,' she muttered. 'And Archer looked really angry.'

'But in that dream,' she continued. 'Those two girls closest to that boy, it seems that he was in pain when he couldn't see them anymore.

'It was more than anyone else important in that dream,' she hugged her pillow tighter.

'Archer,' she continued her talk. 'Where did that boy go?'

'Shirou Emiya departed when those two girls left this world,' he answered as soft as possible. That tone in his voice was genuinely true.

'But,' he retorted.

'I want to treasure all of us as current,' he asserted.

Minato blushed. She hugged her sister.

'Nee-san....'

'That's for sure,' Archer entered the room. 'To me, those people in the dream you saw...'

'...were important people.' Rie shut her eyes tight, knowing she had just infringed on the privacy of her servant.

'More than anyone,' he continued his speech. 'They were worried about me.'

'They helped to secure the happiness of the world.'

Archer sat on the bed next to them.

'Those were important friends,' he answered their burning curiosity.

Minato started to cry. She was feeling the pain of her servant too.

'But,' he placed his hand on her. 'To me, aren't you two the same as them too?'

'For my sake,' he stood up from the bed. 'You two have been working hard too.'

'There's no way that is not precious to me.'

'Being angry or being happy,' a calmness filled the room. 'Because you are precious to me too that you would behave like that.'

'But,' Minato questioned. 'Did you love those girls around you?'

'It's not expected of a master to ask such a difficult question to her servant.'

'The most of all?'

'Are you comparing?' He replied rhetorically.

'When it comes to comparison,' he looked at the both of them. 'That is possible.'

'But now that you are my responsibility,' he placed both of his hands on their heads. 'I could say it to be a happy and enjoyable time more than anything.'

Both girls smiled and hugged their servant.

***

Archer was out in the house courtyard tanning the laundry. As it was usual of his daily obsession with house cleanliness.

Someday his contract with them will end. When it had ended, he would revert to spirit form again and be unable to protect them.

It was definitely a curse on him. Thankfully for him, it was because of these children of Rin and Sakura that he was still able to carry on.

Because they reminded him of them, he couldn't bear to be angry with them at all.

'Archer...'

Behind the hung fabric, he could see Rie's silhouette.

'I have to approach you personally,' she spoke behind the fabric.

'Shirou Emiya is not dead,' she lifted from the words he had said to her yesterday. She emerged from behind the cloth.

She raised her hand, touching on his chest.

'He's still somewhere in there,' she looked up at him. She smiled at him.

'As for now,' she paused. 'Being with Archer is still the happiest.'

'That is why,' Rie hung her head down. 'We'll definitely be always happy.'

She raised her arm, revealing the command mantra written on it.

'Someday Archer,' she grinned. 'When me and Minato have found our own happiness too, we'll release you to rest in peace.'

'As of now,' she stuck out her tongue. For a moment, Archer was reminded of Rin. 'You'll have to depend on us for your happiness.'

And with that, Rie ran off.

Archer looked at the sky.

Even when the day came for his duty to end, his memories will never vanish. He had thought of the same thing many years ago, when he was with them as a living human.

As of the current moment, the three of them will be walking along the same path together.

He would create many happy memories for them.

His mind painted a picture of all the most important people in the sky. Although they were no longer there, he knew these people would be up there watching out for him.

Especially for their mothers, Rin and Sakura, they will be especially watching out for him.

To protect life was better than to destroy it after all. He thought of his ideals.

Archer carried the laundry basket. As he headed to the house, he could see both of them playing by the door.

He smiled at the warm sight.

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)  
__  
Kaeru basho ai wo arigatou  
__(At the place I return to, I thank for the love)_

_Mata heiki na furi wo shite  
__(Again trying to act calm)__Kanashimi no iro wo nuri tsubushite Waratte shimaun desu  
__(Painting a hue of sadness and I laughed)__Shinjiru koto no taisetsu-sa Wakatteru no ni  
__(The importance of believing, I understood it)_

_Iza to iu toki Utagatte shimaun desu  
__(But in critical times, I regrettably doubted)_

_Karappo no karada Nagareru toki ni  
__(My empty body, in a flowing time)_

_Uite shimaisou ni naru kedo  
__(It seemed to float about)_

_Anata no koto dakishimetai  
__(But I want to embrace you)_

_Kono kimochi ga tsuki ugokasu yo  
__(To rouse up this feeling)_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Hitokoto de mitaseru kokoro  
__(My heart is satisfied with just one word)_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Kaeru basho ai wo arigatou  
__(At the place I return to, I thank for the love)_

_Jibun no koto bakari wo kangaeru otona wa zuruin da to  
__(The adult who thought of only me was selfish)_

_Omotte itan desu  
__(As what I had thought)_

_Demo hisshi ni kaeru koto wo  
__(But desperately coming home)_

_Sakenderu hito mo irun da yo Yatto shittan desu  
__(There were such people shouting that. And they finally did it)_

_Atari mae no shiawase nanka Kono sekai ni hitotsu mo nai  
__(For such an obvious happiness, there is not one in this world)_

_Anata no tame sou ometa  
__(For your sake I thought so)_

_Kono kimochi ga tsuki ugokasu yo  
__(To rouse up this feeling)_

_Okaeri I'm home  
__(Welcome back I'm home)_

_Speed ga kasoku shiteku mainichi  
__(Everyday I increase my speed on)_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Kawaranai zutto aru keshiki  
__(It doesn't change, for that scenery that was always there)_

_Sweet home  
__  
Sagashite nakushita  
__(Searching yet I lose it)_

_Kokoro no kizu ga  
__(This heart's scar)_

_Tachi mukau Tsuyosa ni kawareta no wa  
__(The thing that was changed by this opposing strength was)_

_'Okaeri' ga atta kara  
__(Because of 'Okaeri')_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Hitokoto de mitaseru kokoro  
__(My heart is satisfied with just one word)_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Kaeru basho ai wo arigatou  
__(At the place I return to, I thank for the love)_

_Okaeri I'm home  
__(Welcome back I'm home)_

_Daijoubu Anata ga iru kara  
__(I'm alright because you are there)_

_Okaeri sweet home  
__(Welcome back sweet home)_

_Mattete ne Mou sugu tsuku kara  
__(Wait for me because I'll be arriving back soon)_

_Sweet home_

In Archer's own room, whom he did not show to the two girls he took care of, there was a single photo lying on one short cupboard.

In it was three people smiling.

Shirou, Rin and Sakura were smiling in it.

THE END

* * *

Acknowledge: Song is 'Okaeri' by ayaka. (It's the Zettai Kareshi theme song.)


	2. Extra: Fairytale

Okay, here's a little extra chapter for those Rin X Archer fans again.

Let me just give an explanation of the song I'm inserting in this fic.

The title is Tonghua which is Chinese for Fairytale. And yeah, it's yet another of my signature character death fics.

Okay, let's start.

Song acknowledgements will be written after this story.

DISCLAIMER: The characters of fate/stay night belong to TYPE-MOON and Kinoko Nasu.

* * *

Fairytale

A few minutes past midnight, a figure of a man walked through the living room of the mansion.

His navy blue eyes caught an item draped in a huge cloth. As he lifted up the cloth, it revealed itself to be a piano.

Opening the covering for the keyboard, he rested a few fingers on it. He began to play a crooked tune of it.

Archer was not a really good piano player.

But he had remembered how his curiosity had given him some proficiency.

'That's not how you play the piano!' A girl had once screamed at him for making the defeaning voice through the mansion.

Shirou Emiya, or actually Archer's past self, was startled at her. He had only touched a few keys on the piano, but the twin ponytailed girl before him was a bit cranky.

She held his hands, guiding his fingers to the correct keys and pressing on them to make the right tune.

'Tohsaka, that's great of you,' he exclaimed as Rin Tohsaka slowly guided his fingers, playing out a melodic tune.

'It's just a piano,' Rin answered like it was no big deal. She noticed her hands were still in contact with Shirou's skin. Blushing, she pulled them away. 'What do you think you're doing?!'

The orange-haired boy look at her confusedly. She had only guided his hands for a while yet she behaved like he had already violated her body.

He gave up on the idea of arguing back. Rin could always think of a way to rebutt his arguments.

'It's getting late,' she spoke finally after some silence. 'Go back before it gets too dangerous outside. And I don't want Saber to get worried about you.'

He nodded, getting up from the seat of the piano.

'Thanks, Tohsaka.'

She opened one eye to look at him.

'Why are you thanking me?'

'The piano.'

'It's just useless skills' she replied him bluntly. 'It's just like fairytales. Someday you'll have to realise that everything in it is just fake.'

Shirou bowed before heading for the entrance.

'I'm not seeing you off!' She shouted out from the hallway.

***

'Archer,' Rin's voice reached out to her servant's ears. It had been years since that day of Rin taught him how to play the piano. Archer was standing at the balcony, with Rin resting on a large armchair beside him.

'The time is near.'

Archer looked at how frail she had become. It was an inherited curse.

The eldest member of the Tohsaka family in each generation would have an untimely death. That was the reason for the few number of children per generation it it.

When one assumed the head of the family, the curse was inflicted.

But Rin was still going strong. The night was serene, with a large full moon illuminating the sky.

'At least I helped to delay your transition to a counter guardian,' she uttered weakly.

That was right, as Archer thought. The moment Archer/Shirou had been executed by the person he had saved, Rin did the summoning to bring back his soul.

But now, the curse was on her. Soon, she would wither away, leaving Archer to start his eternal duty as a counter guardian.

'You know,' she continued. 'At least I could feel how your father passed away now.'

Archer's father, Kiritsugu Emiya died by the mana poisoning by the Holy Grail. The curse of the Tohsaka family was, too, at random. By coincidence, she had her internal spirit poisoned by a fake Holy Grail which emerged half a year after the events of the real one.

'Could you play the piano?'

He nodded, turning to the piano in his master's room.

Opening up the cover, he sat down, resting his fingers on the piano. He began to play the tune which Rin had taught him when he was Shirou.

_Wang le you duo jiu_

_(I've forgotten how long it has been)_

_Zai mei ting dao ni_

_(Since the last time I heard you)_

_Dui wo shuo ni zui'ai de gushi_

_(Telling me your favourite story)_

Rin got up from the armchair, slowly moving and sitting beside him.

'You've got the wrong note again,' she criticised him.

She took his hands and began to guide his hands to the correct notes to press on.

_Wo xiang le hen jiu_

_(I have thought for a long time)_

_Wo kaishi huang le_

_(I started to panic)_

_Shi bu shi wo you zuocuo shen me_

_(Wondering if I have done something wrong again)_

Archer began to feel like he had gone back to the times when they were still teenagers. The feeling of Rin touching his hand and guiding it to play the piano.

'Playing the piano is just useless,' Rin blurted out suddenly. 'They're just like fairytales. Useless stories with idealised hopes.'

_Ni ku zhe dui wo shuo_

_(You told me as you cried)_

_Tonghua li dou shi pian ren de_

_(That everything in fairytales are all lies)_

_Wo bu ke'nen shi ni de wangzi_

_(I couldn't possibly be your prince)_

_Ye'xu ni bu hui dong_

_(But perhaps you don't understand either)_

_Cong ni shuo ai yi'hou_

_(Ever since you told me you loved me)_

_Wo de tiankong xing'xing dou liang le_

_(All the stars in my sky have brightened)_

Rin paused for a while, before guiding Archer to play the piano.

'If I weren't around,' Archer spoke out. 'You could have won the war and used that Holy Grail for your own good.'

'Don't be silly,' she reprimanded. 'The essence within was evil.'

_Wo yuan bian'cheng tonghua li_

_(I'm willing to become the one in the fairytale)_

_Ni ai de na'ge tianshi_

_(That angel you love)_

_Zhang'kai shuang'shou_

_(I extend this pair of hands)_

_Bian'cheng chi'bang shouhu ni_

_(And turn them into wings to protect you)_

_Ni yao xiangxin_

_(You must believe)_

_Xiangxin wo'men hui xiang tonghua gushi li_

_(Believe like we'll be like we are in a fairytale)_

_Xingfu he kuai'le shi jieju_

_(Where blessings and happiness is the ending)_

'You got that tune wrong again,' she pointed out.

'...'

_Ni ku zhe dui wo shuo_

_(You told me as you cried)_

_Tonghua li dou shi pian ren de_

_(That everything in fairytales are all lies)_

_Wo bu ke'nen shi ni de wangzi_

_(I couldn't possibly be your prince)_

_Ye'xu ni bu hui dong_

_(But perhaps you don't understand either)_

_Cong ni shuo ai yi'hou_

_(Ever since you told me you loved me)_

_Wo de tiankong xing'xing dou liang le_

_(All the stars in my sky have brightened)_

_Wo yuan bian'cheng tonghua li_

_(I'm willing to become the one in the fairytale)_

_Ni ai de na'ge tianshi_

_(That angel you love)_

_Zhang'kai shuang'shou_

_(I extend this pair of hands)_

_Bian'cheng chi'bang shouhu ni_

_(And turn them into wings to protect you)_

_Ni yao xiangxin_

_(You must believe)_

_Xiangxin wo'men hui xiang tonghua gushi li_

_(Believe like we'll be like we are in a fairytale)_

_Xingfu he kuai'le shi jieju_

_(Where blessings and happiness is the ending)_

'Archer, I'm cold,' she moved closer to him. It was spring in Fuyuki city. She crept up closer to his body, feeling his warmth and closed her eyes to concentrate on feeling and hearing.

Without being affected by anything, the white-haired servant continued on the melody.

_Wo yao bian'cheng tonghua li_

_(I will become the one in the fairytale)_

_Ni ai de na'ge tianshi_

_(That angel you love)_

_Zhang'kai shuang'shou_

_(I extend this pair of hands)_

_Bian'cheng chi'bang shouhu ni_

_(And turn them into wings to protect you)_

_Ni yao xiangxin_

_(You must believe)_

_Xiangxin wo'men hui xiang tonghua gushi li_

_(Believe like we'll be like we are in a fairytale)_

_Xingfu he kuai'le shi jieju_

_(Where blessings and happiness is the ending)_

The command mantra on Rin's hand was turning faint. As Archer continued to play the keyboard, he could see his fingers were turning a little translucent.

The time was drawing near.

Nevertheless, he continued on it.

_Wo hui bian'cheng tonghua li_

_(I will become the one in the fairytale)_

_Ni ai de na'ge tianshi_

_(That angel you love)_

_Zhang'kai shuang'shou_

_(I extend this pair of hands)_

_Bian'cheng chi'bang shouhu ni_

_(And turn them into wings to protect you)_

_Ni yao xiangxin_

_(You must believe)_

_Xiangxin wo'men hui xiang tonghua gushi li_

_(Believe like we'll be like we are in a fairytale)_

_Xingfu he kuai'le shi jieju_

_(Where blessings and happiness is the ending)_

The command mantra on her arm disppeared completely, leaving only the flawless skin colour.

The grip she was holding on to Archer gave way.

Archer paused for a while before playing the last note.

_Yi qi xie wo'men de jieju_

_(Together we can write our own ending)_

He closed the cover.

Carrying Rin in his arms, he laid her to rest on the bed. She was just like she was sleeping peacefully.

There was a expression of peace on her face. It was something not seen often.

She would often smile or either display her tsundere traits at times.

'Rest well,' Archer spoke to her limp body. 'Tohsaka.'

A shadow overcast on his face as he left the room.

As he walked, he took out the ruby pendant she had given him and put it back once again into its former place in his pocket.

***

Archer crashed head down into a room.

Someone who had summoned him was a little unskilled in doing that.

He had a fuzzy memory since the summoning was a little unskilled too.

Fragments of his memories lied in his mind. They were too fragmented to be pieced together for now. But as time goes, he would be able to connect them together.

The door flew open, revealing an adolescent girl with twin ponytails. She had kicked it open.

As his eyes met the girl's, he felt a sense of familiarity within him. But she gave him the image of an unexperienced mage.

'I see I have been summoned by yet another substandard mage.'

She gave a startled yet pissed look at him.

For now his mind was only filled with one thing. And that was of a certain orange-haired boy.

Somehow his heart told him that killing that boy had some positive relation to the girl standing before him.

He smirked back at the girl.

THE END

* * *

Acknowledgments:

Title: Tonghua (Fairytale)

Singer: Guang Liang


End file.
